Dave B’s MLB Power Rankings – April 17th
Two weeks of MLB are in the books and already some of the cream is rising to the top. With most team having played 10 games early in the season there are certainly some surprises – the Nationals, the Dodgers and the Orioles currently lead their respective Divisions – insane!
As always, the Power Rankings are ever-changing. The proof is in the brackets (the team’s ranking two weeks ago). Be sure to check back in two weeks and the fluidity of the Rankings will once again be evident!
Without further adieu – here is the second edition of Dave B’s MLB Power Rankings for 2012!
1. Texas Rangers (3) – pretty hard to deny the Rangers top spot in the rankings – four straight wins and an 8-2 record. They are a perfect 3-0 on the road and have everything going for them- pitching and offense. The Rangers have the pedigree and aren’t disappointing so far in this young season as they have best record in the Bigs behind…
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (18) – The Dodgers are unquestionably the surprise team so far – only 1 loss! Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have absolutely been ripping it up so far and the pitching staff has held their own.
3. St. Louis Cardinals (7) – The Cards have been solid – names like David Freese have made the loss of Pujols a little more tolerable. St. Louis is 7-3 so far and they have only played three games at home!
4. Detroit Tigers (5) – Detroit has looked very good and it hasn’t been Prince Fielder that has been the star. Austin Jackson has been an absolute stud in a batting order that is one of the most formidable in MLB. Justin Verlander is back to form as well.
5. Washington Nationals (13) – The Nationals lead the NL East with a 7-3 record due in large part to a pitching staff that is averaging over 9 strikeouts per game. Some clutch hitting along the way has also helped one of the new contenders in the National League.
6. New York Yankees (1)– This may be a tad high but a lineup that boasts Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, ARod and Mark Texiera still deserves a lot of credibility. The Yanks will be there in the end and deserve to be there right now.
7. Arizona Diamondbacks (14) – The Diamondbacks aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year but they are producing once again. Kirk Gibson could be NL Manager of the Year – that’s my call in Week 2!
8. Chicago White Sox (26) – Jake Peavy has looked good and the Sox have hung with teams like the Rangers and the Tigers in the first two weeks of the season. They may not remain Top 10 but for now a 5-3 record has them at #8.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (15) – The bats have been silent and the bullpen has been surprisingly weak so far this season. But the pitching of Ricky Romero, Kyle Drabek and Henderson Alvarez has been mighty impressive. If the Jays hitters ever wake up and the closers can shut the door, they could contend for a playoff spot.
10. New York Mets (22) – The Mets in the Top 10? It’s true – Johan Santana has been masterful – 0.90 ERA in two starts and the hitting has been surprisingly consistent. Paging Jason Bay!
11. Tampa Bay Rays (8) – with arms like James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Jeff Niemann and Matt Moore expect the Rays to climb in the Rankings. But middle relief has been a major issue so far! By this time in two weeks, the Rays will have earned their #11 rank – trust me. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
12. Atlanta Braves (12) – The Braves have played six of nine on the road and they have only played three games at home where they have gone 3-0. The Braves are typically solid and have won a staggering five straight games.
13. Philadelphia Phillies (2) – The haters are out in full force and the Phillies are fourth in their own division! Still with 2.55 team ERA they are barely Top 15 in this week’s rankings. The return of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley would be nice too!
14. Boston Red Sox (6) – All is not well in Beantown. First, poor play, then the loss of Jacoby Ellsbury to the DL to join Carl Crawford and then tensions between players and managers has Boston barely clinging to a Top 15 spot. The talent is there to be a top team – I just don’t know about the motivation!
15. Seattle Mariners (27) – Seattle based on a 6-5 record gets them into the top half of MLB teams but they have played Oakland in three series so far this year.
16. Cincinnati Reds (9)
17. Baltimore Orioles (30)
18. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4)
19. Cleveland Indians (19)
20. San Francisco Giants (11)
21. Milwaukee Brewers (16)
22. Colorado Rockies (17)
23. Houston Astros (29)
24. Miami Marlins (10)
25. Oakland Athletics (21)
26. Pittsburgh Pirates (25)
27. Kansas City Royals (23)
28. Chicago Cubs (24)
29. San Diego Padres (20)
30. Minnesota Twins (28)
We’re almost there. Another MLB gambling season. It’s time to NOW bring your best baseball betting hat to the table for gambling on baseball. Cappers Picks all season long provides MLB baseball gambling predictions, so check back often.
